Journey of the Mind
by Amanda Hart
Summary: Why would the Doctor end up in a place like Bristol?


"Bristol?"

The TARDIS landed with a thump in a destination the Doctor had not seen. Cardiff, sure. London, of course. But never Bristol, this suburbian place, this essence of normalcy. Families. People living day to day, paycheck to paycheck. But why here? Furrowing his brow, the Doctor checked all the settings, placing the TARDIS in standby mode, donned his brown overcoat and walked brazenly out of the door.

********

Meanwhile, Annie had gotten bored, so decided she would try her hand at cooking. _What's the worst that could happen?_ she thought to herself, just before the pan in which she was browning a round steak burst into flame and billowing smoke. Annie yelped and waved her arms instinctively, trying to disappate the effects, coughing out of habit, though lungs she did not have. She grabbed frantically for the lid of the pan and slammed it down, suffoccating the fire. She rested her hand on the edge of the stovetop, leaned a bit, then sighed, blowing her bangs out of her face. Someday, she should try a household hobby that didn't include the dangers of smoke and fire. _Dangers, _she scoffed to herself. _I'm already dead! What've I got to worry about?_ She knew, of course. Losing the house would be devistating, not only for her, but her mates, George and Mitchell.

She turned slowly, a curious grinding sound echoing upstairs, a draft blowing random bits of paper about. The grinding stopped, and Annie, confused, took the steps two at a time to investigate.

********

Rounding the corner to the hallway, the Doctor stopped short as a young woman nearly ran him over. She gasped and started, stared up at the strange man, who stared right back at her. He could see her? She tilted her head a bit, studying the Doctor.

The man looked surprised, then intrigued, then confused. Nobody studied him that closely, ever! Normally, it's a lot of threats and shooting, and other muck. Once in a while he'll be greeted fondly. But never like this. It's never been quite such a penetrating, inquisitive look that met his intrusion. He liked it. He swallowed, then offered a cheerful smile. "Hello, I'm the Doctor!" He held out a hand to shake, which earned him a brightness in the girl's eyes, but also a wariness.

"Annie," she tentatively took his hand in hers and gave it a quick squeeze. Solid! He could see and touch her! Her surprise at the mere handshake caught the Doctor off guard, and he tilted his head, cleared his throat, to which Annie snapped out of her fog and looked up at the man again. Her smile was genuine, perhaps a bit too genuine. "You can see me!" She spoke in celebration of a statement, not asking a question. "You can...." Well, she'd better not say that. He may take it the wrong way. Although, he looks kind enough. "You can feel me!" She hesitated, but her elation was still very present. "Even George and Mitchell have trouble sometimes, but I always thought it was my own fault, you know, being dead and all, and since nobody can see me except them and others like them --"

"Wait, hold on, hold on, shh, shh!" The Doctor rested a finger on Annie's lips, signaling for her to slow down. "Start from the beginning. You're dead?" Annie nodded. "How'd it happen?" Annie went on to tell the story of how her ex-fiance, Owen found a racy pair of ladies' undergarments and assumed she was cheating, and instead of listening to her, shoved her down the stairs, and crack went her neck! The Doctor's brows gathered as he took in the story, then released, his eyes half-closed, and he dipped his head. "I'm so sorry." He looked up at her again, then took a breath. "And... then, you're human?" She nodded again. "You're...?"

"A ghost," she said, answering the unasked question.

The doctor nodded. "And, these two, George and Mitchell, did you say?"

Annie nodded again. "Not human."

"Animal?"

"You could say that."

The Doctor blinked, pressed his lips together in a thin line, trying to figure this out. Annie couldn't help but grin. "George is a Lyco."

"A Lyco..? Ohhh, a werewolf!" Annie smiled brightly. "Brilliant! Oh, oh, wait... where are we in the moon cycle?"

"Waning gibbous, we're fine," Annie chuckled, then nudged the Doctor, only happy to be able to do so.

"And Mitchell...?" The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "I noticed you didn't tell me what he was, exactly."

"Mitchell is.. well, he's a vampire." She raised her hands up when the doctor started forward, his eyes widened, lips parted as though to say something scathing. "Off the blood, off the blood!"

"Wait, what...?"

"Mitchell doesn't drink blood. He's like George - just trying to live a normal life. Even works at the local hospital!" Annie tried to save her friend's undeserved reputation by explaining how he is currently, as opposed to how his race acts.

"Ah yes, a normal life. Can't all have that, can we?" The Doctor smiled grimly, rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. "Ah, well. So, Annie the Ghost, people don't normally see or feel you."

"Nope!" Annie was practically vibrating with excitement. She still couldn't believe someone could see her! She felt her fingertips begin to throb, a heat start to pool in her belly - all phantom sensations, but there nonetheless.

The Doctor smiled widely. A new puzzle! Nevermind the vampire or the werewolf - been there, done that. Even seen fake ghosts, with the Gelf and the Cybermen. But a genuine article? This is new, indeed! "Could I...?" The Doctor reached out and brushed his fingertips against her temples, and she nodded. The Doctor closed his eyes and explored her mind.

The mind of a ghost was definitely an interesting place - like a living mind, except frozen. The accesses were entirely free, as though Annie wanted him to see everything. Or, Annie wasn't fully aware of what was going on. Either way, she didn't seem to mind. "Oh, dear," he said sympathetically, happening upon the time Annie tried to get back into Owen's life, "That didn't go very well, did it?"

"No," she chuckled softly. How stupid she had felt. As Annie opened her mind to the Doctor, however, she found herself reading his as well. It was intricate, lively, like the inside of a busy mall, except without so many people, and a lot of the shops were closed. Curious, Annie reached up to place her fingertips on the Doctor's temples.

Annie gasped and the Doctor started, backing away from Annie, or so he thought. A smoky essence seemed to evaporate in front of his eyes, and his hearts raced. _Oh, no_, he thought to himself, turning and bolting for the TARDIS, throwing the door open and shutting it firmly behind him. He leaned his back against the wall and slid to the floor, his breath quickening. Everything started to spin, then blur, then fade altogether, leaving darkness.

Or so he thought. Ambient light was simply dimmer than he was used to. He shook his head and stood, slowly, surveying the situation.

The TARDIS was gone. In its place, the Doctor found himself in a familiar space - familiar, because he spends every day and night inside. This was his mind. The Doctor ran his hand over his face, held his jaw for a moment before letting his hand drop. Yep, reading a ghost's mind was a pretty bad idea, wasn't it? But this is new. Sure, he's in his mind all the time, but never in quite such a literal sense. Light flashed as synapses fired, the Doctor warily treading toward different places in his brain.

Everything was so surprisingly well organized. As he edged towards one part of the mind, he felt himself fill with joy. Memories of his more recent times with Jack and Rose and the rest flooded his conscious mind involuntarily, and a sense of relaxation and euphoria came over the Doctor. He smiled, closed his eyes and tilted his head back. Ah yes, basking in joy was something one could get used to. He thought better of it, better to save some of that happiness for a later day. He started to walk away, looking over his shoulder as he did, seeing the images fade.

He began towards another branch and felt something deep inside himself begin to boil. Rage. Fear. The Daleks, the Cybermen, the Family, Jackie Tyler... he shuddered at that last one. Every last foe which put him or one of his companions in danger.. especially the Daleks.. filled him with a rage that nearly blinded him, the ferocity building inside of him. Another bolt of electricity shot through the synapses, snapping him back to reality. He thought it best to move on, quickly, without looking back.

Sadness. He felt himself become heavier, started to feel every step become a burden. Images of Rose, lost, crying on those days at Bad Wolf Bay, images of the sky afire as he put the Last Time War to a deadly halt, each nameless, faceless being which gave their life for the greater good - often for his own agenda - all dragging him down into his own personal Hell.

The Doctor cried out in mental anguish, and wrenched himself away from that part of the brain, panting, groaning. After a moment, he caught his breath and his senses, and looked up again, rubbed his eyes, misty as they were. He sniffed, then paused, tilted his head. A strange little place had been set up, completely out of sorts from his normal thoughts and memories. They weren't his. Surely, Annie had put that up when she entered his mind. He chuckled - after just what he had seen, he was shocked she didn't build a bunker with sandbags surrounding it in his mind.

Hands in his pockets, the Doctor walked up to the strange area, the ambience of the area changing dramatically. The Doctor gasped softly as he reached for the door, his hearts thrumming in his chest, his lips and tongue tingling just slightly. He shored up his resolve and pushed on, opening the door, rapping on it twice as he entered to warn her of his entry.

This place was a gorgeous room, a large, plush bed against the right hand wall, a huge fireplace set up against the back wall. The door behind the Doctor closed, then disappeared. He looked back, then started to panic. Twisting back around, he searched the room and found Annie resting comfortably on the edge of the bed, near the fire, warming her feet. She looked back over her shoulder at the Doctor and smiled sweetly. "Come here, I want to show you something," she beckoned him with a finger, her eyes glittering with mischief.

The atmosphere of this place was making the Doctor tingle all over, as though his skin was hypersensitive. He was acutely aware of even his clothes sliding against his body while he walked. He tentatively sat down on the bed next to Annie, wary, even shy. Annie looked up at the ceiling, although it was simply the network of nerves and synapses, same as outside of this room. Annie smiled again, as if holding a secret. Ever the curious one, the Doctor looked up, too. Annie peeked to see if he had looked up, and she leaned silently, close to his ear, and whispered, her breath caressing his skin, "Keep watching up there." The Doctor closed his eyes momentarily, then opened them again and waited.

Shocks ran up and down the Doctor's spine as Annie ever so slightly slid her fingernails down his arm. A flash of electricity sparked the ceiling, then faded blue. He scrunched his brows together again. That couldn't've been a coincidence. He gasped and shivered as Annie slid her tongue delicately over the Doctor's neck, then tugged on his earlobe with her teeth. A brighter bolt rammed through the ceiling, a bright green in its wake. "Oh, that is... interesting," the Doctor acknowledged, talking about the electrical impulses... mostly. Annie's ministrations, coupled with the ambience of the room made the Doctor's pulse quicken, his blood begin to rush. He looked at Annie, almost panicking, his eyes wide and his back straight.

Annie simply grinned, bit at her lower lip, played one fingernail lightly up against his thigh. "Relax," she purred softly, "this is all in your head. Your body will remain... unused." She winked.

It was then the Doctor noticed the sleek, black negligee that she had been wearing, the arm straps so thin, the material perfectly transparent, her bra and panties skimpy, yet unrevealing for the most part. Annie was very beautiful, especially in this light, in this context. The Doctor tentatively reached out and caressed Annie's cheek, running the back of a finger down the smooth skin, his breath catching in his throat. Is he feeling what she's feeling? Certainly a hint of it as his hearts jumped when his finger touched her face. He caught himself staring at her lips, the corners of which turned up into a smile, his thumb lightly brushing across the bottom lip. The Doctor's groin began to stir, his body starting to respond to the atmosphere, the beautiful creature before him.

Annie's smile faded and she sought the Doctor's eyes. When they met, she leaned in for a passionate, hungry kiss, her body following her head, climbing up onto the Doctor, straddling his lap, settling against him. Her hands went to the sides of his face, gently holding it in place while she explored his mouth, her tongue sliding against his, then his lips, then his tongue again, her fingernails scritching just slightly against his jawline as her body began to writhe against his in time with that feverish kiss. Electricity flashed above them, red and yellow streaks burnishing the ceiling above them. The Doctor reciporcated, his hands finding their way up Annie's back, then down to her hips and thighs, her behind, her sides. Human females were almost always so soft, so aesthetically pleasing. Annie moaned sensually into the kiss as the Doctor's rough hands slid against her skin. It had been quite a long time since she had been touched, especially in this way.

The Doctor placed his hands firmly on Annie's hips and lifted his up to grind against her. She broke the kiss, threw her head back and gasped, jagged bolts of blue and green threatening to split the ceiling apart, then faded just as quickly. The Doctor nipped lightly at Annie's scantily-clad breasts, and something inside her snapped.

Annie growled animalistically, ground down against the Doctor, who groaned in response, his blood pounding in his head. Annie leaned in and bit down on the Doctor's neck, not breaking the skin, but leaving a mark as she sent her tongue against the wound. The Doctor growled loudly, an impulse signaling in the ceiling like a starburst. Annie was getting aggressive, insistant. Before the Doctor knew it, his coat was discarded, his shirt ripped open, though his tie remained perfectly intact. Annie drew herself up, like a serpent, smiling down at the Doctor, dragging her fingernails up from the waistband of his pants, up his toned abs, his pecs, over certain areas causing him to shudder heavily in response. Annie grabbed his tie, then pulled him up to meet her, smiling wickedly down at him, triumphant in her ability to make the Doctor hard as a rock.

Even with his complicated vascular system, the Doctor was in a haze. He was painfully aware of his throbbing, confined cock, and it was pushing him over the edge. One arm snatched Annie up against him and he moved to pin her to the bed, ravaging her skin with bites and licks and nips, eliciting whimpers and mewls and moans from the young woman, now squirming against the comforter.

Pulling back, the Doctor growled a warning to her, "Stay there." He rose to his knees and discarded his useless shirt. He kept his eyes on Annie, who was still slowly writhing, he couldn't tell if it was to tease him or if she were honestly feeling those things. He released the clasp on his slacks, kicked off his sneakers, then tossed everything aside. He panted softly, driven mad with lust, and he didn't even know how. Annie's quirky smile and a light giggle drew him out of it momentarily. "What is it?" he asked self-consciously.

"This," she reached out. He had forgotten about his tie. It hung from his neck, perfectly secured, on his otherwise stark naked body. Annie pulled at it, then let it go as he growled a warning. He kept it on, not sure why, as he lightly ghosted his hands down her front, over her breasts, against her flat belly, then down underneath the edge of her transparent nighty, moving his hands back up, the very frail fabric actually tearing away as he moved his hands up. He leaned down and whispered to her in his own language, distracting her as he undid her bra. He slid down her body, leaving her arms free as she discarded the fabric, both negligee and bra, leaving her in only her panties.

The Doctor settled between Annie's legs, inhaling deeply, then lightly touching the tip of his tongue against her sex through the fabric. Annie arched her back, gasped, involuntarily gripped at the comforter. The Doctor chuckled deeply, then did it again, slightly more firm, this time also pressing the pad of his finger against her opening, the dampening there making her arousal all the more apparent. Annie cried out softly, her blood hammering through her veins. He then placed the palm of his hand against her sex, cupping and rubbing it, massaging it, looking up to watch her body writhe from his ministrations. He removed his hand, and she instantly felt colder. His head dipped, and he very carefully nipped at the fabric between her thighs, taking hold and dragging her panties down, his nimble fingers taking care of the elastic band up top.

The impulses the ceiling had mimicked a thunderstorm, every color in existance shooting through the synapses. Annie's scent made the Doctor insane, and he pressed one finger into her. She gasped and whimpered, then again, and again as he pushed it in and out, in and out, then added a second finger. He leaned in and played the tip of his tongue against the small bundle of nerves at the apex of her sex, circling and flicking gently. Annie cried out helplessly, her body wracked with pleasure, begging the Doctor to give her release.

Just then, he withdrew, and Annie looked down at him, breathing raggedly, but obviously confused. The Doctor sat up on his knees and smiled cheekily, then gave himself a quick stroke, gasping from the unexpected sensations that followed. The ceiling seemed to explode in light and color, and Annie knew what was next.

The Doctor covered Annie's body with his, and they kissed again savagely, growling and moaning at one another as the Doctor ground his painfully hard cock against her soaking wet sex. Forgetting himself, the Doctor murmured to Annie in his own language, yet somehow she understood and nodded.

He was slow at first, slipping in just the tip of his cock, then pulling out. Then pushing in just a little further, a little further, until he was buried inside her, filling her up. Annie was already in a sheen of sweat, not from the earlier teasing, but she's not had quite such a big cock as the Doctor's. He began to move, just slightly, rocking back and forth, finding a steady rhythm, resting his forehead against the side of her head, panting and groaning. Annie's writhing, her cries, her begging served only to spur the Doctor on.

Still buried inside her, the Doctor sat up on his knees and held Annie's legs up, looking down at her, his expression smouldering as he slammed into her, watching her scream and thrash in pleasure. Lightning might have struck, the entirety of his mind lit up like a Christmas tree as the two built their release, higher and higher, impossibly close, holding for what seemed like an eternity.

Both bodies started to convulse, movements becoming erratic, Annie's body twisting and arching as she gasped, clamping down on the Doctor as she came. Dizzy with sensation, the Doctor gripped Annie's hips, riding her through her orgasm, resting one hand down on her pubic mound as he rammed into her. He growled, then gasped, throwing his head back as his body spasmed, his cock pulsing as he came, all of his energy going into his orgasm, color and light rocketing through the room, bolts hitting the floor, though not causing any damage.

As the Doctor came down from the impossible heights he and Annie shared, he panted, then groaned, shivering as he slid out of her, not caring about the mess that's made. He collapsed next to Annie, who was still quite dizzy, her single pulse racing, her head swimming.

Everything faded as the Doctor and Annie fell to sleep.

********

As the Doctor awoke, fully clothed and inside the TARDIS, he shook his head, then rubbed his face. As he stood from the floor, he realized quickly that he needed a change of clothes. He sighed, but smiled. It had indeed all been in his head.


End file.
